knight



Feb. 14, 1956 F. L. KNIGHT LINING FOR SOAKING PIT BURNER PORTS Filed June 16, 1952 FIG.

INVEN TOR.

N A0 T L ZMA 5 RAW LINING FOR SOAKING PIT BURNER PORTS Frederick L. Knight, Lorain, Ohio, assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application June 16, 1952, Serial No. 293,829

3 Claims. (Cl. 263-46) This invention relates to improved linings for burner ports in bottom fired soaking pits.

In the steel making art a soaking pit is a furnace used for heating ingots uniformly to their proper rolling temperature, commonly about 2150 to 2450 F. One type of soaking pit is fired from a gas burner situated below its bottom at the center thereof. Conventionally the bottom of a soaking pit is formed of refractory brickwork and carries a layer of loose granular material, such as coke breeze, on which the ingots rest. To exclude this material from the burner port it is necessary to surround the port with a lining or wall at least as high as the depth of the layer of loose material. Since this lining is subject directly to the full temperature of the burner, it wears rapidly and requires frequent replacement.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved port lining which has superior wearing qualities, but is easily replaceable when worn out.

A further object is to provide a port lining that can be removed and replaced without tearing away any of the brickwork of the furnace bottom.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, I have provided improved details of structure, a preferred form of which is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the bottom of a soaking pit which is equipped with a port lining constructed in accordance with the present invention; and

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the manner of forming the port lining.

Figure 1 shows a portion of a soaking pit which includes a bottom 10 of refractory brickwork and a burner 12. The bottom brickwork carries a layer 13 of loose granular material, such as coke breeze, and it contains a port 14 directly above the burner. The soaking pit is not shown in detail, since aside from the port lining it can be of any standard or desired construction fired in this manner. A complete disclosure of an exemplary soaking pit of this type can be found in Morton Patent No. 2,124,888, or in The Making, Shaping and Treating of Steel, published by United States Steel Company, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, sixth edition, pages 599 and 600.

In accordance with the present invention, the port lining comprises an annular monolithic refractory body 15 and a surrounding metal form 16. The refractory body is preferably of rammed plastic chrome ore which fuses to a monolithic mass at the furnace temperature. The metal form 16 has lifting lugs 17 on its exterior ad- States Patent jacent the bottom and an interior flange 18 also at the bottom. Said flange terminates short of the inner surface of the refractory body 15 so that it does not burn away. Between the upper surface of the brickwork 10 and the bottom of the metal form 16 and refractory body 15 there is a thin layer 19 of antiwelding material, such as dry chrome ore, which assures that the port lining can be lifted readily from the bottom brickwork 10.

Figure 2 illustrates the preferred manner of forming the port lining. A rigid core 20 is inserted within the central opening of the form 16. The refractory next is rammed into place in the annular space between the core and the form. The form is removed and the lining is ready for installation in a soaking pit. The flange 18 holds the refractory in the form during handling.

From the foregoing description it is seen that the present invention affords a port lining of simple construction and one that can be installed or removed with a minimum of disruption to operation of the soaking pit. It is unnecessary to disturb the bottom brickwork in any way to remove the lining, but merely to push aside the loose coke breeze to engage the lifting lugs with suitable handling apparatus. The layer of antiwelding material assures that the lining can be lifted readily from the brickwork without breaking the latter.

While I have shown and described only a single embodiment of the invention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a soaking pit which includes a bottom of refractory brickwork containing a burner port, a burner beneath said port, and a layer of loose granular material covering said bottom, the combination with said bottom of a port lining comprising a metal form having an annular bottom flange and an integral outer wall extending upwardly from the outer periphery of said flange, and an annular monolithic refractory body within said form, said lining being removably supported on said brickwork and extending upwardly therefrom at least to the depth of said granular material, the opening through said body forming a continuation of the port in said brickwork, the inner circumference of said flange terminating short of the opening through said body so that the refractory of said body protects the metal of said flange from direct exposure to said burner.

2. A construction as defined in claim 1 in which the exterior of said form has lifting lugs adjacent its lower end and normally covered by said granular material.

3. A construction as defined in claim 1 in which a layer of dry chrome ore is interposed between the upper surface of said brickwork and the lower surface of said lining to prevent adherence.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,002,010 Hilliard May 21, 1935 2,079,560 Morton et al May 4, 1937 2,124,888 Morton et al July 26, 1938 2,297,696 Elder et al Oct. 6, 1942 2,628,088 Austin et a1. Feb. 10, 1953 2,631,836 Willis Mar. 17, 1953 

1. IN A SOAKING PIT WHICH INCLUDES A BOTTOM OF REFRACTORY BRICKWORK CONTAINING A BURNER PORT, A BURMER BENEATH SAID PORT, AND A LAYER OF LOOSE GRANULAR MATERIAL COVERING SAID BOTTOM, THE COMBINATIOON WITH SAID BOTTOM OF A PORT LINING COMPRISING A METAL FORM HAVING AN ANNULAR BOTTOM FLANGE AND AN INTEGRAL UTER WALL EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID FLANGE, AND AN ANNULAR MONLITHIC REFRACTORY BODY WITHIN SAID FORM, SAID LINING BEING REMOVABLY SUPPORTED ON SAID BRICKWORK AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM AT LEAST TO THE DEPTH OF SAID GRANULAR MATERIAL, THE OPENING THROUGH SAID BODY FORMING A CONTINUATION OF THE PORT IN SAID BRICKWORK, THE INNER CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID FLANGE TERMINATING SHORT OF THE OPENING THROUGH SAID BODY SO THAT THE REFRACTORY OF SAID BODY PROTECTS THE METAL OF SAID FLANGE FROM DIRECT EXPOSURE TO SAID BURNER. 